The object of the present invention patent is a feed doser and regulator for troughs, used for feeding stabled animals, especially pigs. The dosing and regulating system enables the dosage and regulation of the amount of feed or food to be automated, which the animal itself seeks by actions of the same on a part of the system arranged for it.
Dosing systems assembled in the inner part of the troughs to which they apply are known, supplying a predetermined amount of feed which, coming from the feeder tank, passes through the doser and falls onto a feed pan from which the corresponding animal eats.
The known troughs for the feeding of livestock, especially pigs, in broad outline present a tank for temporarily storing the food or feed, which on the lower part extends into a hopper which also contains the feed and which is joined at the lower base of the tank. A feed dosing device is located at the smaller or lower base of the hopper, which is controlled by a regulator for setting, from a maximum to a zero position, the amount of feed to supply for each animal""s action on a part which the doser presents for such purpose.
As is shown, the food portions supplied fall into a pan or tray which the trough has at its base. Above the pan there is normally a drinking trough which, when activated by an animal, supplies a certain amount of a liquid (in general water, in this case mixed with products for health or nutritional products) which are also poured onto the pan. The transporting of the liquid supply has a control valve of the same. Thus moist foodstuff is obtained.
Regulators equipped with a turning lever and arranged at the upper or lower part of the feeder tank are also known, which is connected to a vertical rod, so that the turning of the lever causes the rod to go down or up by an order of the function of the angle turned by the lever. The latter is assembled on a support joined to the feeder tank.
Basically, three types of these regulators are known: one with a vertical lever and a lower toothed part, arranged on its edge according to an ideal off-centre curve situated on a vertical plane, between whose teeth the upper end of the rod is inserted according to the position of the turning lever, which is joined to the feeder tank through a support which puts it into the tank in a radial manner; another, in which among some other features simplifying its constitution, has the lever toothed on its off-centre edge with a support of the same arranged perpendicularly to the feeder radius; and a third with a horizontal lever, which has a circular ramp at its base against which the upper end of the rod is supported and whose descending or ascending movement is a function of the lever""s turning angle.
A known doser is basically composed of a turning plate around an upper horizontal shaft, an inner pusher joined to the plate or forming part of it but situated behind, a support swept along by the pusher and practically bent according to the path it takes, and an opening for the feed dragged by the pusher to pass through which will fall into the feed pan or tray.
When a pig wants to eat, it activates, as many times as it likes, the tilting plate (with a turning angle controlled by the regulator and situated in the position provided for by the farmer) and the pusher move the corresponding amounts of feed which thus drop onto the feed pan.
Apart from the possibility of the feeder being supported on the stable floor it has means for being anchored to a wall or vertical panel, thus preventing it from falling or being moved by the animals"" usual pushing movements.
When they are very young animals, the activating of the feeder tilting plate by pushing its snout against the same is, on the other hand, relatively difficult and laborious for the animal and, on the other hand, takes time to learn. Likewise, for older animals it can be unpleasant because of the effort they have to make by repeated knocking of the plate and the physical discomfort it entails for them.
The feeders to which the feed dosing and regulating system apply according to the invention are of the type comprising a tank for temporarily storing the feed and a lower hopper, at the base of which there is a feed doser device, controlled by a regulator that has a vertical rod for regulating, as the farmer wishes, the amount of food to be supplied by each animal""s action on a tilting part of the doser, from a maximum position to a zero position.
This feed dosing and regulating system for troughs is characterised by comprising:
a) A chassis and a body in which there is arranged, opposite and facing, at least one outer rod on each side of the body with its two ends joined to both vertical angular levers, facing each other and articulated to said body; the two levers of each rod have an upward cut-out on their inner vertices and a downward extension facing the side of the lever pointing downwards;
b) two rectangular ramps, joined to each other on their upper part, determining a common horizontal ridge and articulated to the body; both ramps are moveable, contrarily and symmetrically, outwardly and inwardly and their lower edges have throughout the ramps"" entire course, together with the upper surfaces, fixed plates for feed temporary support;
c) two cams, each of which has its lower end joined to a horizontal shaft that extends outwards, being positioned opposite a wing of the corresponding angular lever and each lever has its upper end articulated to a horizontal shaft;
d) a vertical pipe that can be moved upwards and downwards and onto whose intermediate part is joined the horizontal shaft on each of whose two branches is articulated the respective cam by its upper end;
e) a vertical shaft that can be slid on the inside of the pipe and which has a fixed eccentric wheel to the same at its lower end and can turn on a horizontal plane and is capable of positioning itself between the two ramps, whose shaft can turn thanks to actuating means; and
f) means located at the upper part of the body for joining to the lower part of a feeder hopper, preferably made up of a vertical neck.
In an embodiment case, the feed dosing and regulating system for troughs is characterised by having a rod situated to just one side of the system, a ramp arranged over a feed temporary support plate, a cam situated opposite the ramp, a single branch of the horizontal shaft joined to the vertical pipe and an eccentric wheel fixed to the vertical shaft and facing the ramp.
Likewise, the feed dosing and regulating system for troughs is characterised by having:
g) at least one tilting flap, articulated horizontally at its upper end inside said hopper and activated in its free part by a rod which crosses a hole in the hopper and articulates lower down to the corresponding angular lever;
h) a cover, capable of being coupled to the tank or directly to a feeder hopper and which has a motor with a lower projecting pin, onto which the upper end of the vertical sliding shaft can be assembled;
i) linking means joined lower down to the upper part of the vertical pipe and higher up to a corresponding control, arranged over the cover for actuating upwards or downwards; and
j) a tray for receiving the unloaded feed, provided with a central part projecting upwards and sloping towards an area on the edge of the tray, the latter determining a feed collection channel.
The feed dosing and regulating system for troughs according to the invention offers, among other things, the following exclusive and peculiar advantages of the same: working the system is carried out by the swinging movement of the animal""s head; working smoothness, as it does not require the animal to hit its snout against the conventional tilting plate; it can be used both for weaning and fattening animals; the animals can see the feed, which motivates them to access the same; the feed that is unloaded by the dosing and regulating system is situated next to the feed pan periphery and very near to the animal that has activated the system, so that it neither falls over the animal""s snout nor scatters outside the feed pan as has happened up to now, with the resulting greater use of the feed and cost saving; it stops the animal from treading on the feed, with the resulting improvement in the facilities"" hygiene; it makes it easier to make savings in the cleaning of the facilities, with an increase in the hygiene of the same; it makes it possible to automate the dosage and regulation of the feed; the feed arranged in the hopper is shaken automatically every time the animal activates the system to obtain the food so that the possible xe2x80x9cgapsxe2x80x9d which could form in the feed, especially between the food and the hopper walls; and the whole system, together with the feeder, can be turned over with respect to the chassis, enabling an easy and thorough cleaning.